The most overlooked necessity for successful weight loss

Weight loss can be achieved by reducing calorie intake, increasing physical activity, or both. Having a higher proportion of lean-mass-to-fat-mass translates into a more attractive physique and competitive advantage in sport [1-3].

Previous research suggests that high protein intakes enhance the retention of lean mass during weight loss, both with and without the inclusion of exercise [5-8]. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), or the average daily level of intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all healthy people, is 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day.

Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much research done specifically with athletes consuming high protein diets during weight loss while performing intense exercise [2]. A recent study investigated a similar scenario, however. The researchers looked at the effects of high (2.4g/kg/day – 3x the RDA) vs. low (1.2g/kg/day – still 1.5x the RDA) protein diets in 40 recreationally active young men on hypocaloric (i.e. weight-loss) diets while performing a combination of resistance exercise and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) 6 days per week for a month [9].

The high-protein diet group lost more fat mass and gained more lean mass than the low-protein diet group. The high-protein group lost an average of 4.8 kilograms (10.5 pounds) of fat mass while also gaining 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds) of lean mass, whereas the low-protein group lost an average of 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) of fat mass and did not gain any lean body mass. It’s interesting to note that both groups were actually on relatively high-protein diets in reference to the RDA of 0.8 g/kg/day.

ShakeBot Bottom Line

Consuming a high-protein diet during weight loss can help maintain lean body mass, particularly when exercise is included [1-9].

Shooting for protein intakes between 2.0 – 2.5 g/kg/day (that’s 140-175 grams for a 70kg or 155lb individual) may be most beneficial, based on the current body of research.

Everybody is different – a personalized nutrition approach is optimal for all individuals investigating weight loss.